First GREEN Bank Blog

First Green Bank Receives 2011 BUSINESS OF THE YEAR LEEDership Award from U.S.G.B.C. Central Florida Chapter

On the evening of October 26, 2011, the U.S. Green Building Council Central Florida Chapter announced that First Green Bank is the recipient of the 2011 Business of the Year LEEDership Award. 

The award was given at the Annual LEEDership Award Dinner at the Hilton, Orlando.  The LEEDership Awards recognize outstanding projects and achievements by businesses, community leaders, and chapter volunteers annually. 

The annual gala was a wonderful formal dinner affair, and included a keynote address by Mark MacCracken, Chairman of the U.S. Green Building Council National Board of Directors and CEO of CALMAC Manufacturing Corporation.

We greatly value being Business of the Year. Our sincere thanks to Shannon Monteleone, Executive Director for the USGBC Central Florida Chapter, for hosting a phenomenal event. 

Slow Food Orlando catered the event and the food was fantastic. A great time was had by all...

(Robbie Gossett, Ken LaRoe, Mark MacCracken, Melissa Atkins, Audrey O'Shaughnessy,  Paul Rountree)

 

 Mark MacCracken, Chairman of the U.S. Green Building Council National Board of Directors opening the evening's ceremonies...

First Green friend and Executive Director of the Southeast Region U.S. Green Chamber of Commerce, Jennifer Barrows smiling happily at the close of the evening...

First Green Bank President, Paul Rountree, and his wife, Tonya...

 

 

 

 

 

 

First Green Bank CFO, Melissa Atkins, and her husband, Chris...

First Green Bank Credit Analyst Robbie Gossett and his wife, Philipa...

 

 

 

First Green Bank Chairman & CEO Ken LaRoe in conversation with USGBC's Mark MacCracken...

 

 

 

First Green Banker Robbie Gossett holds up the Business of The Year Award. We are very thankful to Robbie for composing our Business of the Year application package!

Wekiva River Clean-Up Sponsored by the southeast regional office of the U.S. Green Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with Keep Seminole Beautiful and Wekiva Island

Several staff members of First Green Bank participated in the Wekiva River Clean-up on October 2^nd. Sponsored by the southeast regional office of the U.S. Green Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with Keep Seminole Beautiful and Wekiva Island, this great event helped to pull numerous potato sacks-full of trash from the beautiful Wekiva River. Although the popular river appears considerably clean on its surface – especially considering how many people enjoy the river and nearby recreation areas year-round – an unfortunate amount of trash finds it way to the muddy riverbed just a few feet under the water. The Official from Keep Seminole Beautiful informed us that most of the trash gets into the river not from the people enjoying the river by way of canoe, etc., but instead by roadside trash and litter which gets washed into gutters and makes its way to the river – another important reason for people not to litter anywhere!

Armed with nothing more than bare hands and a small fishing net on the end of a wooden dowel, several teams of volunteers in canoes scooped numerous glass bottles, aluminum cans, cups, and other assorted trash – most of which can be recycled – out of the river in just a few short hours. Keep Seminole Beautiful helps to organize such river clean-up events, as well as roadside clean-ups and other community enhancement activities, on a monthly basis. If you are in the area and would like to get involved, you can find more information and a calendar of events at: www.keepseminolebeautiful.org

Paul Rountree, First Green Bank's President, Interviewed by Fox News

Debit card fees and managing your money: MyFoxORLANDO.com

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month: Celebrating 25 Years of Awareness, Education, and Empowerment

Central Florida Race for the Cure®

The Race was held Sunday, October 16, 2011 in Orlando...

Many thanks to First Green Bankers Rachel Callahan, Betty Green, Jessica Schwarz and Audrey O'Shaughnessy for taking part. Also, special thanks to Taylor Rouleau from Help Now of Osceola for walking with our "team" and photographing the First Green Bankers in social action for a fantastic cause.

October Business of the Month Richard W. Hennings, PA

Congratulations to our October Business of the Month.

Aerial photographs of our LEED construction progress

Click on an image for a full-size pop-up photo.  

 September 2011: West entrance and drive-thru

 

Back, Northeast corner 

East side, with Butterfly roof visible at top, and "green" roof visible on 2nd floor ledge.

Close-up of "green" roof 

Solar panels on southeast roof 

 

June 2011: West entrance and drive-thru 

Butterfly roof over entrance and entire 2nd floor  

May 2011: First Green Bank Chairman and CEO, Ken LaRoe 

 
 

75,000-gallon subterranean Storm Vault, seen in photograph above, collects rainwater                         from Butterfly roof, etc., for re-use.